


To Fly Again

by Siver



Series: Final Fantasy VI/Ghost Trick [27]
Category: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, FFVI GT AU, Final Fantasy VI AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:14:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22976740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siver/pseuds/Siver
Summary: Cabanela, Jowd and Cidgeon have reunited with Kamila and found Figaro Castle. Now to move onto Kohlingen and onward in hopes of finding more of the others...
Series: Final Fantasy VI/Ghost Trick [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1169099
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Cabanela’s feet guided him automatically through Figaro’s halls while he ignored the stray looks. They were fewer now than the first time and most were still pre-occupied with the return of their king and princess, but the unease still stung. He went up the long winding steps and soon found himself at the top of one of the towers. _Their_ tower. He wouldn’t be able to stay long as they would be submerging soon. He shouldn’t have come at all, but his feet had their way and now he stood at the parapet staring at the red skies over vast sands.

Their tower. What did ‘their’ mean now? The first time he came back he came with Alma. And now he returned again with Jowd and Kamila at last, as promised, and there was no word of her, only fearful questions of her whereabouts none of them could answer. He gripped the stone. When would all three return again? When would _they_ come back together? His own place was uncertain—Jowd having to step in on his behalf made that clear (that he had at all was a blessing when the man seemed barely able to even glace at him)—fine, but they had to come back together, be a family again.

“Uncle Cabs?”

Kamila approached and stood at his side, staring up at him. There was no fear or anger there. No anger at broken promises made that night so long ago to widened fearful eyes. He would bring her father back soon. She would be safe. This wouldn’t last. Five years… five to see that promise fulfilled by the professor and another year to bring them back together once more, and yet she had been so happy to see him as well even with her father and the professor there. He resisted a brief urge to scoop her into another hug. No need to risk adding his burdens to hers.

“We’re gonna dive soon,” Kamila said. “The alarm will go, but I saw you coming this way and wanted to tell you.”

“I’ll be on my waaay.”

Her hand slipped around his fingers and she squeezed. “I missed you, uncle.”

Cabanela managed a small smile and discovered he needed to force it less than he had been lately. “You too, kiddo. You’ve come a long waaay.”

“Maybe... And I’m not done yet. We have to keep going; I know we’ll find mama soon,” she said with such firmness it seemed to Cabanela the universe had no choice but to listen and he felt a swell of pride in her.

“That we will.” There was no other choice. Alma would return as well. No other option was conceivable and that was that.

Kamila gave his hand a small tug and he knew then exactly who was leading who here and he was happy to allow her to do so for this one small moment. He fell in step with her as they re-entered the castle to make their winding way back down to the halls as the alarm blared. 

Jowd entered the throne room. It was empty now, most of the castle’s residents having gone to bed or attending nightly duties. Here, only the faint rumble of the castle as they travelled to Kohlingen’s desert served as a reminder they were underground and moving.

Underground again. As he approached the pair of thrones he couldn’t help but feel it was another cell of a different sort. What was this place to him? He ran a hand along one of the pair. She sat alone here and held the kingdom together while he languished uselessly for five years. Now she was missing and what right did he have to be here?

His hand strayed to his brush. No need for paint here and he worked automatically until Alma sat in the throne, proud and gentle and strong with a core of steel. He stared at her, taking in the sight until he sunk into the throne at her side. How many times had their hands linked between them? He started to reach out and stopped. It was almost easy to pretend. Touching her would only serve as a reminder of the dream, an ephemeral thing, that’s all this was.

Would she ever sit there again? Cabanela in his boundless optimism seemed to think so yet how had that served him so far? What were the odds they all survived the fall and the terrible year after?

The throne room doors creaked. Jowd let the image of Alma fade. Kamila slipped between the doors letting them fall closed gently behind her. She looked small in this large hall as Jowd watched her approach. Her place would be here in time; twelve, no thirteen by now, and she had done more for Figaro than he who had given it up for lost.

“Papa?”

“I thought you’d gone to bed,” he said mildly.

“I was talking to uncle Cabs.”

Jowd forced his jaw to unclench. Cabanela, not the Jester. She was perfectly safe with him; he’d proved that on more than one occasion. “I see,” he replied neutrally.

Kamila’s hands clenched then she suddenly darted forward and flung herself into Jowd’s lap. He caught her with a small grunt. She was still manageable for him but she really had grown taller and heavier, a stark contrast to the seven year old he once knew in another lifetime.

“I missed you,” she said into his shoulder. “I was so scared this year. You were all gone. I didn’t know where to go and then I heard Figaro was gone too.”

“You found it in the end.”

“I was hoping you and mama would be here… then you came with gramps and uncle and I thought mama might still be here but she’s not.”

“We’re here… and your mother…”

“Isn’t but that means she’s somewhere else, right? We just have to find her. If there isn’t anything in Kohlingen maybe Jidoor! Lynne told me about the opera.”

Jowd avoided looking at her. She held such hope, she and Cabanela and even the level-headed Cidgeon. How long before it would all crash on them and then what?

“Papa?”

“Maybe,” he managed. Was Jidoor possible? But life didn’t work like their operas and this ruined world had no room for such sentiments.

Kamila slid off his lap and with hands on her hips she frowned at him. “She might not be, but I hope Amelie will. We’re gonna find them all, papa. And you and uncle will get better too!” She spun around and marched for the doors, adding as she went, “You’ll see!”

Jowd watched her exit, wondering how much time she had somehow managed to spend with Cabanela despite how little they’d seen each other. He certainly seemed to have rubbed off on her. Could they possibly be right? It was a painful thought.

Cidgeon’s fingers worked deftly over Lovey-Dove’s machinery while she slept until the knock at his door shook him from his focused world free of all other concerns.

“Enter,” he said shortly and only spared a short glance to see who came in. Kamila. And so he turned his attentions entirely back to Lovey-Dove while the girl took a seat nearby.

“Is Lovey okay?”

“We were split for the past year and this is the first time I’ve had the place, time and tools to give her a proper check. So far everything seems to be in working order.”

“Because she’s a tough old girl, right?”

Cidgeon’s mouth twitched at old words repeated back to him. “Yeah. You should get some sleep,” he added idly, old habits kicking in. “It’ll likely be a long day tomorrow.”

“So should you,” Kamila countered.

Point taken. “Why are you here?”

“I talked to Cabs and papa earlier. They’re… not okay, are they?”

Cidgeon sighed and turned his head to face her squarely. “No.”

“I thought so. I know they were happy to see me and come back here, but…” she waved a hand helplessly.

Cidgeon nodded. Big ‘but’ indeed.

“Isn’t there anything we can do?” she asked.

Cidgeon looked back at the much simpler Lovey-Dove. “You being here will do them some good, but there are some things they have to work out for themselves. The best thing you can do is keep out of it for your own sake and look after yourself.”

“But…”

“They’re not your responsibility.”

“I guess…”

Kamila fell silent, watching him work until, finished, he set aside his tools, gave Lovey-Dove another head stroke gone unnoticed in her sleep and leaned back in his seat. She’d done well. He’d feared worse after a year apart; after all who else knew how to properly care for a magitek-infused pigeon, but she’d only needed some minor adjustments and cleanup.

“Gramps?”

“Hm?”

Kamila hopped off her seat. “I got you something. I was gonna give it to you tomorrow, but since we’re here.” She held out a red ribbon. “I found it a few months ago. It’s supposed to give some kind of protection. I don’t know if that’s true or not but I think it brought me luck anyway!”

She pressed the ribbon into his hands. The fabric was smooth and when held just so caught the light in an odd sheen. And focusing on it, he could sense the telltale prickle of magic. There clearly was something to it.

“You should keep it,” he said gruffly.

Kamila shook her head and lifted it back. Before he could protest, her fingers worked into his hair threading the ribbon through it. “It’s a thank you gift. There, I think it looks pretty!”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“You looked after me for years and you brought papa back and again with uncle Cabs! Of course I do.”

The whole family was a stubborn lot. “Well, thank you…”

She beamed and kissed him on the cheek.

“Good night, Grampa.”

“Good night, Kamila.”


	2. Chapter 2

They gathered in the hall early in the morning. Cabanela lingered off to the side by Cidgeon as the castle’s residents and Rindge gathered to see their king and princess off. There was an uneasy air to the place and worry in the people’s faces. Cabanela supposed they couldn’t be blamed. They’d finally seen both their king and princess return only for them to leave again so soon. Yet, what other option was there while Alma remained missing?

It didn’t stop Chancellor Rindge from trying. He spoke, reassuring Jowd that he would see the castle looked after and wishing him well and they had their hopes and prayers for finding Alma soon. Then he spoke to Kamila.

“Are you certain about this, Your Highness? You’ve been away from home for so long. You don’t have to fight this battle. Stay where it’s safe.”

“I’m going,” Kamila said firmly. “I have to find Mama—Mother.”

Rindge turned pleading eyes to Jowd. “Your Majesty, surely…”

Cabanela couldn’t properly view Jowd’s face from where he stood but he could imagine it all too well from the mildly amused and calm tones Jowd spoke in.

“The castle’s been trapped once. Safety is a matter of opinion in this world. She came this far and she’s made her choice.” His voice firmed. “She stays with us.”

Rindge bowed his head. “As you wish. Stay safe, and bring Queen Alma home.”

It was time to go. Their chocobos, borrowed from the castle for the trip to Kohlingen, waited. Cabanela spared a glance back to the castle as he mounted his bird. Leaving again, this time with Jowd and Kamila. He could only hope the next time they returned it would be with Alma as a family. They rode individually save for Kamila who rode with Jowd, her head turning this way and that.

“I don’t remember this place well,” she said. “But I thought there were mountains? Was that somewhere else?”

“You remember rightly, kiddo,” Cabanela said lightly over his own unease—the same felt when they arrived in Albrook. 

“This isn’t our world anymore,” Jowd said heavily. “We may be travelling to nothing.”

Cabanela frowned at him. Rein in the pessimism a little there, baby? But before he could counter Kamila spoke again.

“But it is our world. Just ‘cause it’s different doesn’t mean it’s not ours. You’re different, but you’re still my papa.”

Jowd’s voice faltered. “Kamila…”

Cabanela grinned at his chocobo’s head. Well done, princess.

“And Cabanela has changed too,” Kamila continued, “but he’s still my uncle Cabs.”

Cabanela’s fingers twitched around his reins. He shot Jowd a look. It was one thing for her to call him such in privacy last night, but to acknowledge that things weren’t the same, yet to still call him uncle in Jowd’s presence without the barriers of relief and joy brought by their reunion… It was warming and worrying all at once and Jowd’s expression remained neutral; if there was anything to glean from it, it was lost as their chocobos sped along. Cidgeon, however wore a quiet air of approval Cabanela recognized.

“And prouuud to be so,” Cabanela managed once he was certain of his own steadiness.

Kamila smiled. Jowd stayed silent. They rode on. It was a quiet and mostly peaceful ride. A roving monster was easily fended off with Cabanela’s magic and Kamila’s crossbow. They took a small break for lunch where Kamila chattered cheerfully and Cabanela joined in—she could hardly be expected to keep up the brightness alone after all—and Jowd retreated back into his shell while the Professor was seldom one for idle chat.

They travelled on and as they went a sense of unease grew among them. Would Kohlingen still be where they expected? Did it exist at all anymore? Would they find a wreck as they had with Mobliz? Cabanela fought to keep such thoughts at bay. Worst case scenario they would simply have to move on, find another route open to them and if that wasn’t possible, return to Figaro Castle and decide from there. Nothing would be over, far from it.

As it turned out their fears were unfounded and Kohlingen came into view. They stopped in the outskirts, dismounted and made preparations to enter. Cabanela sighed. It was galling; this was _his_ face but Tzen and Albrook had proven the need. They needed information, not fear.

“I’ll play my little vanishin’ trick and be riiight by you,” he said and started to cast the spell.

“No,” Jowd cut in. “Don’t disappear.”

“I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

Jowd’s shoulders hunched. “You say that,” he muttered. “Stay in our sight.”

Cabanela eyed him and let the spell fade. “You gooot it, baby.” Which left the hood and—he suppressed a shudder—and wound the scarf around his face, pulling his hood up after it. “Weeell?”

Jowd’s gaze was averted and, frowning, Cabanela stepped in front of him. “You asked for this.”

Jowd glanced at him and nodded. “It’s fine. Let’s go.”

“You’re like a mysterious stranger in a story,” Kamila chimed in.

Cabanela winked at her. “Travellin’ with the Queen of Thieves, is that iiit?”

“Hey, we didn’t steal anything,” she protested.

“It’s all about the mystique, baby!” He pointed grandly toward the town. “Shaaall we?”

When they grew close to the entrance, Cidgeon touched Cabanela’s arm. “Wait.”

“Prof?”

Cidgeon frowned up at him. “I don’t care what Jowd says. If something starts to go wrong, do what you need to, boy.”

“It’ll be fine and I doubt another house is gonna come crumblin’ down.”

“Maybe so.”

“I’ll play it safe, don’t you wooorry.”

Kohlingen was… better than expected, Cabanela noted with pleasant surprise. It lacked some of the bustle it might once have had and the damage to the world remained clear in withered plants and the lack of gardens and flowers he remembered, but overall, it was much the same as the last time they had arrived.

“The Inn and Café are just across the bridge,” Cabanela said. “I’d saaay that’s our best place for information.”

“A place to stay for the night as well,” Cidgeon added.

The inn was also quieter than normal with a single man at the café counter and a green-haired woman sat the table nursing a glass and bottle.

“Oh!” Kamila gasped while Cabanela grinned under the scarf. Things were lookin’ up.

Cidgeon eyed both woman and bottle and shook his head. “I’ll take care of our rooms and let you handle that,” he muttered and wandered away to the innkeeper.

Cabanela sauntered over to the table, followed by Kamila and a little further back, Jowd. “Weeell,” he drawled, “this is a surprise.”

“Huh?” The woman stared at him blearily.

Cabanela dropped his scarf long enough for her to see his face before putting it back in place “Good to see you again, Memry.”

Memry rocked back in her seat. “You! You’re here? You’re alive?!”

“In the flesh, baby.” He slung himself into the chair opposite her. “And it really is me.”

“Yeah, I… I got that,” Memry stammered, jabbing a thumb at Jowd and Kamila. “You’re with them, but the tower—I don’t. Who?”

“They made a magitek clone,” Kamila piped up. “Uncle Cabs never did any of those horrible things. It was all the Empire’s thing.”

Memry stared then threw up her hands. “Why not?” she exclaimed before she took a long drink from her glass and slumped back in her seat. “Makes about as much sense as anything else. How’d you even survive anyway?”

“Think a liiittle thing like that was gonna do any of us in, baby?” Cabanela replied. Jowd made a sound half way between a snort and laugh.

“And what about you?” Kamila asked. “You were still at the wheel when…” she faltered and Jowd drew closer to grip her shoulder.

Memry shrugged. “Got lucky I guess. If you can call watching your ship fall apart all around you luck,” she added bitterly. “Fell nearby, some nice guy found me and brought me back here and what else was I gonna do? Stuck around, picked up a job and here I am. From pilot to waitress,” she snorted.

“Waitress,” Cabanela repeated. “Not exactly your styyyle, is it baby?”

“Yeah well.” Memry scowled at her now-empty glass and refilled it. “It’s what I got. Guess I’ll be serving you guys breakfast tomorrow.”

“You cooould, or you could come with us,” Cabanela said.

Memry choked on her drink. “Huh?”

“We’re tryin’ to find everyone.” Cabanela cast out an arm to Jowd and Kamila. “I’d say we’re doin’ well so far, wouldn’t you? These three are here. Sissel’s safe in Mobliz. We can keep riiight on goin’.”

“Wha? Oh no. No way. You are not doing this to me again.”

Cabanela blinked. “Come agaiiin?”

“My wings are gone! Bad enough you dragged me to the Empire. Bad enough she got damaged there. Oh no, no that wasn’t enough. We had to go haring off after some crazy magical flying island and look where that landed us! I’ve got nothing left, so you can just go on your merry way and leave me alone.”

“And then what?” Cabanela asked, taken aback. “What’s here for you? Waitin’ around ‘til the rest comes crashin’ down?”

“Look around you! It’s already come crashing down. We _lost_.”

“We’re not done yet,” he replied shaking his head. “He’s not done yet. He destroyed Mobliz. He attacked Tzen just recently. But we have a chance to stop him and take our world and our lives back, baby. You’re tellin’ me you want to pass that up?”

Memry stared at her glass. “Yeah. Yeah I am. I got nothing to offer you anyway,” she muttered.

“What about a ship?” Cidgeon spoke from behind and came up to stand by the table. Lovey-Dove cooed and flew off his head to perch on Memry’s instead.

“Huh? Uncle?! Hey!” Memry yelped. “Agh, does she really need to be in my hair?”

“She likes you.”

“Yeah but,” she faltered at Cidgeon’s flat stare. “Okay, okay. Just. Don’t make a mess.”

“Back then, your airship was the talk of Vector’s engineers,” Cidgeon continued. “They were both marvels of engineering.”

“Er, ah…”

Kamila looked wide-eyed at Cidgeon. “Both?”

Memry shifted uneasily in her seat. Cabanela eyed her. “What’s thiiis?”

“It’s nothing is what it is,” she snapped. “It’s gone. Trust me I’ve looked. He gave it up and buried it away. Ran off to Figaro. And now he’s probably dead and buried too.”

“Figaro, eeeh?” Cabanela said slowly, relishing the moment.

“Yeah, so if you know anything you know that’s a lost cause. Castle’s gone. Lost to who knows where.” She gave Jowd a not-very-apologetic shrug. “Sorry if that’s news to you, Your Majesty.”

Jowd chuckled. “It’s not, but I’m afraid you’re a bit behind the times.”

Kamila clapped her hands together. “We found it! It’s in the desert right now. That’s how we got here.”

“You… what?”

“It’s found,” Cabanela said. “And doin’ well all thiiings considered. So who is this fellow?”

“It’s really still around? He’s still alive?”

“You’ll have to tell us whooo before we can answer that, baby.”

“Rindge…” Memry’s mouth twisted in a bitter sort of amusement. “Can you believe it? We had everything. We had the whole sky at our fingertips and then he ran off to play _politics_.”

“And a good job of it he did too,” Jowd said mildly. “Though he certainly kept that under his hat.”

“Rindge?” Kamila exclaimed. “Our Chancellor Rindge?!”

“Yep,” Memry replied. “It was so great back then, you know? We were masters of the sky, the only airship owners in the world. And his…” she looked distant. “She was a beauty. Real experimental, you know? She was so fast…” She shook her head. “And then one day he’d had enough and that was that. Didn’t want anything more to do with it. Didn’t want anyone else touching it either. I think he was scared of what the Empire might want to do with our babies. Even then they were starting to build up, you know? But, I guess he didn’t trust me either ‘cause he buried it away somewhere and didn’t even give me so much as a hint as to where.”

“Ha!” Cabanela laughed. “Riiight under our noses. Looks like we’ve got ourselves a return trip to Figaro.”

“And you’ll come, won’t you?” Kamila asked.

“Look, even if he talks, the place might not even exist anymore and I have no idea if she’d be functional…”

“But if she is we need you,” Kamila said and looked at Memry with pleading eyes. “If we can fly we can find the others so much faster. We can find mama. And I’d love to learn more from you… if you’ll let me.”

Memry squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s not that simple…”

“You have the chance to fly again, baby,” Cabanela said softly.

“I… Gah! Fine! I’ll come with you to talk to Rindge. But, if he can’t give us anything I’m out, you got it?”

“Peeerfectly.”

“And if he can help us?” Kamila asked.

“Then… yeah. Yeah, you’ve got me.”


	3. Chapter 3

Cabanela woke with a start and sat up, blanket pooling around him while his heart hammered in his chest. He brushed a shaky hand over his face and felt only skin. He was unbound, in bed, and in Kohlingen he reminded himself as he woke more fully. He squinted into the darkness trying to make out the others’ shapes. Jowd was a dark mass in the bed beside him, Cidgeon a much smaller shape across and Kamila too far away on Jowd’s other side to make out, but he knew she would be there.

He remained sitting, breathed and chased away the fragments of clinging nightmares. However, the dark room still seemed too pressing, so he slid out of the bed, took his coat and hood, and drawing it low over his face, slipped out of the room to the rest of the quiet inn.

One man remained at the café table across the way appearing deep into his drink. The bartender barely glanced Cabanela’s way.

“Don’t be causin’ trouble,” he said.

Cabanela gave a short wave of acknowledgement and still keeping his head bowed left the inn. The air was refreshing if chilly against his face and he breathed deep. That was better. A little stroll, nothing like it, and so he let his feet carry him toward the bridge, only slowing when he realized someone was already there in the dark sitting on the rail. He approached cautiously, the Vanish spell prepared, when he realized it was Memry sitting, her legs dangling over the stream a short way below.

She turned her head at his approach. “Who—! Oh, it’s you.”

“You’re up laaate.”

“Look who’s talking.”

Cabanela slung himself over the rail to sit beside her and watch the stream flow underfoot in a quiet trickle. “Something eatin’ you?”

“Nothing really,” Memry said with a shrug. “Guess I just needed to clear my head. Today was so not the day I was expecting when I got up this morning. Funny how fast stuff changes huh?”

That was true. So much lost so rapidly, but now was the time to gain it all back.

Memry tipped her head back to look at the sky and her voice was distant as she mused, “Sometimes it felt like I could just reach out and touch the stars. They felt closer then, even if they were always out of reach. Now they’re so far away, but I have the chance again.

“More than a chance, baby. You’ll get your wings back.”

“Better do!” Memry replied cheerfully. “’Cause I told my boss I probably wasn’t coming back. He seemed kind of relieved to be honest. Beats me why.”

“Weeell then all the more reason…” Cabanela trailed off. Someone was coming in the dark from the town outskirts. He quickly cast vanish over himself and prepared another spell just in case.

A man stepped into the view. “You all right there, miss?”

“Perfectly,” Memry chimed.

“These’re dangerous times to be out so late. Monsters and weird folk about. I’m going home and you should too.”

“Yeah, yeah I know. Just enjoying a little night air. I’ll head on home soon.”

The man tugged his coat closer around himself. “If you say so, miss.” And he crossed the bridge but not before Cabanela heard him mutter, “Odd girl.”

He waited until the man disappeared into the dark and let the Vanish fade.

“Was that necessary?” Memry asked.

“I’d raaather not cause a scene here.”

She snorted. “You?”

“Not that kind of scene,” he continued smoothly. “This face of miiine isn’t too welcome these days.”

“I guess not, huh?”

He looked at her curiously. “Yeeet you didn’t hesitate.”

“Like I said, you were with Jowd and the old bird. Kamila too. The kid’s not stupid.”

“I could be foolin’ you all,” he found himself saying despite himself. There was no reason to push this. Accept what was given and yet Jowd was still mistrustful and even the professor had been on the defensive when he woke, even afraid.

“Yeah maybe,” Memry said carelessly, “but not with Jowd here. He sure didn’t have any kind words for you before, and then when we met up again after Thamasa, well… Let’s just say if he met you, uh, him again, I think only one of them would’ve walked away. But then you all came back to the airship—those two weren’t jumping ‘til they had you—and here you are again, still alive and kicking and not at each other’s throats, so I figure it’s all good.”

Cabanela swallowed a surge of anger over Thamasa, over Jowd, the Jester, the torments he could only imagine. If that had been Jowd’s attitude before the world fell apart, his continued behaviour made sense. The Jester still held too much sway over their lives.

She elbowed him. “And yeah sure you’re weird and kind of annoying sometimes, but you’re not that freak. You’re pretty okay! Even if you did replace my opera singer.”

Cabanela chuckled then before he knew it he broke into a full laugh.

“Hey, it’s not that funny,” Memry protested.

“Maaaybe not.” But her blunt honesty was refreshing and straight forward clarity welcome. Any irritation over a replaced opera singer was far preferable to and felt so trivial compared to the anger and fear over things he didn’t do or couldn’t remember. “Thanks, baby.”

“Uh, anytime I guess.” She covered a wide yawn and slowly swung herself back over the rail to stand on the bridge. “Feeling better already and ready to crash. Got a big day tomorrow and I’m not about to miss any of it. Coming?”

Cabanela gave the stars a last glance. So faint, yet comforting. In just a little while they’d be up there too and then the whole world would be available to them. “Let’s gooo.”

They walked together back to the inn before Memry made to turn off to go to her own place. She paused to look back at Cabanela by the door.

“I think we’re at a point where _you_ owe _me_ now, don’tcha think?”

“Get the airship then we’ll taaalk baby,” Cabanela drawled and he greatly looked forward to that.

“And don’t you forget it!”


	4. Chapter 4

Now they returned to Figaro again. It was a strange thought, Jowd mused, that so recently he thought to never see the castle again and now they’d found it and were so quickly returning a second time. It would mean another day spent merely returning, but then again what rush was there? Not that Cabanela and Memry seemed to agree, having been the first to rise and eagerly hurrying the others along.

What hadn’t been taken into consideration was transportation now they had one more person. Memry had solved that when, without hesitation, she hopped up onto Cabanela’s chocobo. Cabanela had merely given a careless shrug and slung himself up behind her—their only point of dissent seeming to be who would take the reins—one argument Cabanela apparently won, for now. And Jowd found himself staring at the casual camaraderie while memories of long past distant rides through the desert tried to surface. 

He forced himself to focus on the way ahead. Those memories were long lost, gone too with the rest of what the world once was, taken before even it was. Let them stay buried; it was easier that way.

They rode on through the day. Bits of conversation marked the hours passing between large periods of quiet with only the wind blowing past and the patter of chocobo feet. Lovey-Dove alternated flying ahead and warning with loud chirps for lurking monsters and resting with Cidgeon. And so the day passed by without incident as plains gave way to sand and soon the castle loomed ahead in their sights.

Memry gave a low whistle and pushed ahead, having won the reins earlier in the day. “She’s no airship, but she is a beauty,” she said. “Where did you find her?”

“Stuck underground,” Kamila answered. “These gross tentacle monsters took over the engine.”

Memry’s nose wrinkled. “Ew.”

“But it was okay!” Kamila exclaimed. “I found a tunnel into the castle and then papa, gramps and uncle Cabs caught up.”

“Huh, sounds like a real story.”

“It was that, baby!” Cabanela said cheerfully.

“And one you can tell later,” Jowd cut in. “We’re here.”

Jowd shook his head as both Memry and Cabanela sprung from their chocobo as if they hadn’t been riding all day. He kept half an eye on Cidgeon who dismounted at a slower, and much more reasonable pace, but his stiffness was clear. Jowd had a sudden memory of a tea blend his mother would give for such aches and wondered if the old professor would accept, if any of the ingredients could still be found. He shook his head at that too wondering where the sudden memory came from and focused instead on Kamila. He stopped himself just in time from trying to help her down—she was perfectly capable—and she flashed him a smile as her feet hit the ground.

And so here they were again. The guards looked confused but welcomed them back in warmly. Inside he caught hold of a servant and asked him to fetch Chancellor Rindge into the briefing room. It was perhaps an odd affair, but he doubted that any of them—well maybe Cabanela—felt up to a full formal meal, so food was brought directly and the servants hovered uncertainly until Jowd shooed them away. They could tackle this spread between them.

It wasn’t long before there was a knock at the door and Rindge entered. “Your Majesty, this is a surprise. Did something happen? I…” He stopped dead, paled and backed up a step. “Memry?!”

Memry looked up from her plate, fork midway to her mouth. “There you are. Well, are you coming in or not?”

“I.” Rindge looked helplessly at her. “What are you _doing_ here?”

“Looking for you, so don’t go running off now.”

“Come on in, Rindge.” Jowd said.

“Weee need to talk to you.”

Rindge shook his head, looking mildly dazed and took the seat left for him.

“We just need to ask you a question,” Kamila said.

“Yeah,” Memry said. “Where’s the airship?”

Rindge gave her a blank look. Cidgeon rolled his eyes and said, “You’d have better luck getting answers if people knew what you were talking about.”

“Memry tells us you once had an airship,” Jowd said.

“And we’re hopin’ you can tell us where you hid it,” Cabanela added. “Flight would be reaaal helpful now baby.”

“If you didn’t let it rot away,” Memry muttered.

“The airship,” Rindge repeated, rubbing his forehead. He sighed. “It’s true. I did own one, once. But I’m not interested in that anymore.”

Memry snorted.

“They say yours was the fastest,” Cidgeon said mildly.

Rindge sighed. “Yeah. And the Empire was showing a keen interest in it. Memry’s was one thing—.”

“Hey,” Memry protested.

“But it was the technology in mine they started to show interest in. Even back then things weren’t right. I wasn’t comfortable with any of it. I couldn’t stand the thought of it being used for their wars, so I buried it, locked it away and spread stories of it crashing.”

“Yeah like I was gonna believe that for a second,” Memry said.

Cabanela shot her a look. “You left that ouuut.”

“Yeah, ‘cause it was rubbish.”

“But it got them off my back,” Rindge said. “Even if it didn’t work on everyone.”

Kamila turned pleading eyes on him. “But it’s not lost, right? Can you tell us where it is? For mama?”

Rindge sighed. “Look, I want to help. I will, but the way things are now… I don’t know if the place is even accessible. And the ship itself… There’s a good chance she may not function anymore.”

Cabanela flipped a hand unconcernedly. “If there’s a problem we’ve got three skilled people here to take a little looook at her.”

Kamila beamed. “That’s right! Memry’s great with ships and I was learning and gramps can take care of anything.”

Memry grinned. Cidgeon snorted quietly. Rindge exchanged a look with Jowd. Jowd understood; they were all too optimistic about this. Rindge’s worries were likely well-founded and yet what else was there to do? They might as well try.

“Tell us where it is,” Jowd said. “We’ll handle the rest.”

“All right,” Rindge said. He stood and went to the wall where he fiddled for a moment and opened a panel displaying a map of the world. He stepped back with a frown. “This… isn’t going to be very accurate anymore, is it?”

“Never miiind that baby. Give it your best shot.”

“Right,” he pointed at the desert south of Kohlingen. “Well, we are… were? Here.”

“Farther back,” Cidgeon supplied. “I’d say we’re around where the mountain range used to be.”

“All right, so we’re farther away now.” He tapped at a peninsula south west of Kohlingen. “There _was_ a ruin here. You could get to it from here or Kohlingen. If the land hasn’t changed too much it’ll be a longer trip.” He trailed a finger from Kohlingen following the shoreline west. “You could follow the shore from Kohlingen and skirt the forest. I’m afraid I can’t say now.”

“There’s a bit of forest left,” Memry said. She shrugged at the curious looks shot her way. “I landed near it last year. We shouldn’t have a problem just going around it. Ha, if I’d gone a different way I might’ve found this ruin of yours.”

“That’s all you would have found,” Rindge said. “It needs a key. And even then…” He looked apologetic. “The place is a maze. Well, that was the point, but now, even beyond that, anything could have made its nest down there.”

“We can handle a few monsters,” Cabanela said.

“Can you give us the key?” Jowd asked.

“Yes, I can get it now.” Rindge left quickly with a last glance thrown at Memry. It wasn’t long before he returned bearing a slim box which he gave to Jowd.

Jowd flipped open the box. Inside was a thick iron wrought key.

“You’ll find a plateau of sorts,” Rindge said. “The door itself is embedded in the stone. It may take a little searching but it’s on the south facing side.” He sighed. “There’s a mechanism in the room she’s stored that’ll open the way. I… do hope she’s still intact. You’ll look after her, won’t you?”

“Better than you did,” Memry piped up.

Kamila winced. Rindge grimaced. Jowd cut in again before Memry launched into the tirade she looked close to doing. “Thank you. We’ll be leaving in the morning.”

With that their meeting came to a close. Rindge left to attend the last of his duties for the day and the group parted for the night, leaving one by one until only Jowd and Cabanela were left in the room. Cabanela had risen from his seat and stood in front of the map, studying it. Jowd hesitated caught between the urge to leave while Cabanela was occupied or to ask him what was on his mind. Did he really want to know? Would Cabanela be likely to tell him anyway?

Jowd rose silently. Leave before this familiarity became too much. But as he passed through the door he felt Cabanela’s eyes on him until he was safely in the hall. Jowd sighed. Not now. They had a plan of action; what else was there to say? He had other goals tonight anyway.

Jowd stood at Cidgeon’s door, holding a steaming cup of tea. It had taken a little searching and questioning one of the cooks, but once he had the herbs and leaves the mixture came back to him. Tea had never been particularly his forte, but this time there was a welcome and peaceful meditative quality to the whole affair. For a short while he could almost forget everything else, but of course in the end the world came back and now he was at the door to deliver said tea.

“Come in,” came Cidgeon’s voice after Jowd knocked.

Cidgeon was ensconced in an armchair with a borrowed book from the castle library. He raised an eyebrow at Jowd’s approach and the offered tea.

“It’s something Ma used to swear by,” Jowd said. “I figured you could use some.”

“I see.” Cidgeon took a sip and nodded. “Can’t say I recognize everything in here, but she clearly knew what she was doing.”

Jowd nodded. She had, though all those memories had a faded quality to them these days. It _was_ another lifetime ago but he shook those thoughts aside too. That wasn’t what he was here for.

“You’re welcome to stay here,” he said. “We can pick you up once we get the airship.”

Cidgeon gave him a sharp look. “I can take care of myself. And I ain’t about to leave that fool to his own devices either.”

The question slipped before Jowd could stop it or decide on what answer he really wanted to hear. “Do you trust him?”

If Cidgeon’s look hadn’t been piercing before there was no doubt now. “Yes. It’s with himself that’s the problem.”

Jowd’s shoulders slumped.

“Best not to leave any of you fools,” Cidgeon said drily. “That daughter of yours is the most sensible of you lot.”

“She’s a good kid,” Jowd said. “I’d almost rather she stay as well.”

“Yeah? Good luck with that. She’s young, but she’s not the little girl you knew either.”

No, and he tried to remember that. She’d changed. Cabanela changed. So much had changed while other things such as the castle remained eerily similar but for a gaping absence made all the more obvious by the old familiar stone walls.

“We have a long day ahead,” Jowd finally said. “I’ll leave you to it. Good night Cidgeon.”

“Mm night.”

Jowd retreated to their suite and, avoiding the bedroom, spread himself across their sofa. It wasn’t much better than the empty too-large bed, but he closed his eyes and tried not to think of two absent sets of arms. Sleep eventually came as it always did and for a little while he could lose himself to the blissful void of forgetfulness until another day dawned and their ridiculous reality set back in.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day passed without much incident as five chocobos set off once again from the castle early in the morning. The group rode on through the day and as the sky grew dimmer, started to keep an eye out for a good place to stop. By the map, if the place hadn’t been entirely lost, they guessed they would arrive the next day.

Memry suddenly sped up and rode ahead. Frowning, Cabanela spurred his own chocobo to chase after. They’d spent parts of the day mixing scouting ahead and racing each other but this was different. He caught up just as Memry slid off her chocobo and hurried forward on foot. He followed suit and found her standing in front of rotting wood and the familiar wheel of the old airship part way embedded into the dirt.

Memry’s mouth twisted in a smile that wasn’t much of a smile at all as Cabanela came to a stop beside her.

“I don’t know what I expected,” she said. “Why wouldn’t it be still here? Not gonna just disappear when I leave it.”

“She did you well. She did us all well.”

“Yeah.” Memry crouched down and pressed a hand over the wheel. “Crashing was always a possibility. Something goes wrong, things fall, they fall. But, I always thought if it ever happened there’d be a wreckage, you know? Something recognizable. Now she’s just… in pieces scattered across the world.”

Cabanela rested a hand on her shoulder with a small squeeze. She took a slow breath and he pretended not to hear the shakiness that still came through. “I tried,” she said. “I tried to hold her together; at least find somewhere to land but I could barely control her anymore and everything was falling apart. All I could do was watch her fall to pieces and take you all along with her. Tried a few of those spells we’d been learning. Maybe they helped keep me alive, I dunno.” She waved a vague hand around them. “Next thing I knew I woke around here. Just sort of lay there for a while then wandered aimlessly ‘til another traveler came by. He helped me get to Kohlingen and that was that. I never came back.” 

“We wouldn’t have gotten this far without either of you, baby.”

“Yeah. Didn’t do us much good in the end though, did it?”

“What are you talkin’ about? We’re nowheeere near the end.”

“Huh? Ha…” Memry shrugged off his hand and stood. She swiped a forceful hand across her eyes and sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. And the Vanguard’s waiting for us. That’s what he named her you know. I always thought it was kinda stuffy, but now?” She grinned. “Now I think it’s just what we need.”

Cabanela returned the grin. “Now you’re talkin’, baby.”

The others had stopped a short distance away and set up camp. Cabanela and Memry went to join them and they settled in for the night, taking watches in turn. If Cabanela let his watch run overlong it went unremarked, so he’d circled their camp and watched the darkness and checked on the others in turn: Kamila curled up against Jowd, Memry sprawled with her head buried in her arms, and Cidgeon a small bundle tucked around Lovey-Dove and against his chocobo. Occasionally he bent to brush a hand over their blankets, sending some warmth through them, and resisting anything more than the quickest and barest touch over Jowd’s.

Memry eventually woke enough to take over and frankly, as he lay staring into the slowly lightening darkness, he would have been perfectly content to have taken her watch as well. Sleep remained elusive and he was the first to rise to help get breakfast started.

They set off again before long. The Vanguard, Cabanela thought as the world sped by. A fitting name indeed. One by one they’d fallen and one by one they would find them again. This time they would lead the dance. He knew the Jester would think a step or three ahead. After all he did. So, he would simply have to think four ahead instead.

The journey was another dreary one over barren fields and through the edges of the forest past withered bark and whispering, crackling leaves and back to flatlands that could almost make one forget the break through the forest. It was mid to late afternoon by the time they found the stone plateau that seemed to match Rindge’s description, ringed by trees.

They dismounted and Memry made it to the rock face first, her eagerness plain. “Now we just gotta find this door and it’s time!”

“Find it, yes,” Cidgeon said, “but it would be wiser to start fresh tomorrow.”

Both she and Cabanela whirled on him.

“We’ve still got time left,” Memry protested.

“With some luck we could find her and be spendin’ a pleeeasant night in our new ship,” Cabanela added.

“Assuming she’s fit for anything,” Cidgeon said and ignored the frowns they both gave him.

Kamila looked uncertainly at the rock. “We don’t really know what it’s in there,” she said slowly.

“We don’t _really_ know what’s out here either,” Memry countered.

“What do you think?” Cidgeon asked Jowd.

Jowd shrugged. “I don’t see what difference it makes.”

“The difference is getting out of here and up there sooner,” Memry said, jabbing a thumb up at the sky. “And besides that—.”

Kamila stepped toward the stone, her head cocked curiously. Cabanela joined her letting Memry’s grumbles and pleas fade to the background. “What is it, kiddo?”

“Something’s funny here.” She felt around the rock. There was a click then a piece of stone fell away causing her to gasp. In its place there was an unmistakable keyhole. “I found it!”

The talk died down. Memry beamed at the keyhole. “There it is, we can do this!”

“Well?” said Cidgeon. “What’s it to be?”

“We can’t stop now!” Memry said.

Cabanela looked longingly at the keyhole—so close now, but… he looked back at Cidgeon and Kamila. Whether they wanted to admit it or not there was no doubt she and the professor were both tired. A few extra hours would do them good and put them all in good shape for whatever this place had to bring.

“We couuuld scout ahead, Memry and I,” he started.

Cidgeon’s voice was flat and undeniable. “No.”

Jowd shook his head, finally speaking up again. “We shouldn’t split up.”

Cabanela bit back a sigh. “Then I say we stay.”

Memry looked at him aghast. “What?!”

“Kamila?” asked Cidgeon.

She chewed her lip then nodded. “Yeah I think so too.”

Memry threw her hands up. “Argh, fine, fine you win. Three to two, or one, or whatever _your_ vote is,” she shot at Jowd.

In Cabanela’s opinion Jowd looked entirely unapologetic. In his deeper and more worried opinion he would say Jowd really didn’t care and that was a whole other problem. And not one there was anything to be done about now, so he gave Memry a winning smile while striking a pose.

“One more night, baby, and we’ll be in tip-top shape. Tomorrow we get your wings baaack.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Well, here goes.” Memry held the key given to her by Jowd—the honour was all hers—and now she stood poised at the keyhole after they’d all shared an anxious night. She slid the key in, turned it and there was a click. For a tense moment nothing happened, then a rumble sounded through the rock and a section of the wall tremored and slid to the side. It wasn’t the smoothest affair and Cabanela noted Kamila frowning as it stuttered, but in the end it came to a stop and they were faced with a dark opening as if the door had never been there.

“I wonder how old it is,” Kamila mused. “Oh I’d love to look at it more… But not now,” she added quickly at Memry’s hard stare.

Thy entered into a dark hall. The air was chill and stale and there was a sense no one had stepped here for a very long time. Cabanela conjured a small ball of flame that he let grow larger, until with a flick of his wrist he tossed it up to float above them. The flame cast deep shadows over a plain stone hall that stretched before them sloping gently downward.

Jowd took the lead and before anyone could protest or argue Cabanela took his place beside him ignoring the glare Memry shot as she found herself taking the rear with Cidgeon, and Lovey-Dove nestling deeply into his hair, and Kamila in between. Down they went and the air grew colder though Cabanela’s flame provided some warmth. No one spoke until they came to the first branching paths going left and right.

“Right’s right, I say,” Memry said.

“If that’s your reasoning it’s a wonder you’ve come this far,” Cidgeon said.

Memry peered down both ways and shrugged. “I don’t see any other reason to go one way or another.”

“She’s got a poiiint,” Cabanela said. “Rindge said this is a maze. We’ve gotta start somewhere baby.”

“This way then,” said Jowd.

“Hang on. Prof, you’re always carryin’ ink and pens around.”

Cidgeon nodded and passed both to Cabanela who then used the pen to make a mark on the wall before pocketing both. “Onwaaard.”

It was another long and featureless hall that seemed to go nowhere quickly. They continued on until Jowd suddenly stopped and shot an arm out. Cabanela skipped back a step to avoid collision.

“Something’s here,” Jowd said.

They barely had time to register his remark before the flower, if flower it could be called for how large it was and how its leaves and vines waved menacingly, dropped in front of them. A beak-like protuberance rested in the centre of its large yellow petals. A vine whipped out toward Jowd who caught it in one fist. He twisted it before flinging it back earning a breathy hiss from the plant.

“Duck!” Memry called.

Cabanela hopped to the side, a fire spell already at his fingers and both bullet and flame launched into the creature. It screeched and fell back into a limp mass. A vine twitched. Jowd stepped hard on it. And then it was over.

“Ergh,” Kamila said, lowering her crossbow. “What was that? Do you know, gramps?”

“No. A great many monsters have changed or mutated since that day. We’d better be more careful. It’s likely there are more and watch for poison or other ill effects.”

Cabanela peered down the hall. “And it looks like we have ourselves a dead-end.”

“I guess it wasn’t right, huh?” Kamila said with an apologetic smile at Memry.

“Ugh, don’t make me regret saying that more than I am already.”

They returned to the crossroads, taking the left this time. The path wound onward twisting more and more as they progressed and they found themselves having to make choices more often and if it wasn’t for Cabanela’s marks they knew they’d likely be lost. They had a brief stop for lunch then they pressed on going deeper ever still.

They stopped once again having looped around to a former crossroads and Cabanela marked off the way they came. Kamila shivered.

“Has it gotten colder?” she asked.

“We’ve gone deep,” Cidgeon said.

It hadn’t grown much colder, Cabanela thought, but there was a dampness that seemed to cling and sink into one’s bones, and where the air had been stale there was now a dank and musty quality to it. Fungus and other unrecognisable plants grew between the cracks in the stone. They’d fought off a few of the flower monsters by now and there was a sense of other things lurking in the dark.

“Heeere, kiddo,” he said and with a brief grip of Kamila’s shoulder channeled warmth into her clothing.

“Oh!” She smiled at him. “Thanks uncle!”

“You let me know when you need that again.” He turned to Jowd. “Jooowd?”

Jowd’s mouth thinned. “I’m fine.”

Suit yourself baby… “Prof? Memry?”

They both agreed to it and soon they were marching down yet more twisting halls. Cidgeon pulled Cabanela back to his side letting Kamila fall in step with Jowd.

“How are you holding up?” he asked quietly.

“Peaaachy as can be in deep endless seeming tunnels. I should be askin’ you that.”

Lovey-Dove made a coo that Cabanela couldn’t help but think was somewhat accusatory. Cidgeon jabbed a thumb up at the hovering ball of flame. “I’m not the one maintaining that on top of channeling magic and repeated fights.”

“I’m fine, really. The worst thing down here is the tedium.”

Cidgeon shook his head but said nothing more. Good, he wasn’t made of glass and it was good to be doing _something_ and going _somewhere._ There was a clear purpose.

“Eek!” Kamila squeaked after several more minutes and she staggered back a step into Cabanela who immediately caught and steadied her.

Jowd stopped and shifted into a defensive position. Kamila regained her balance. “Sorry! Sorry, look.”

It wasn’t a monster as feared. It was bones. Lots of tiny bones littered the floor and a few steps further along a decidedly more human-looking skull lay against the wall.

“It’s old,” Cidgeon said. “Quite old I’d say.”

“Well,” Memry said slowly. “It could’ve been someone else who tried to come down here right and they got lost… which won’t happen to us. Or a monster that’s long gone by now, right?”

“That may be so,” Cidgeon said, “But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything just as bad down here.”

“Rain on my parade why don’t you?” Memry muttered.

“We could always turn back,” Jowd said with a faint smile.

Memry scowled and stomped forward. “We are doing no such thing.”

Cabanela inwardly sighed as they pushed on. Jowd had hardly spoken, not even during their short rest breaks and when he did it wasn’t even up to his usual bad humour. At least he stepped closer to Kamila, clearly on guard. He was attentive, he just wasn’t _here._

Eventually change came at last as their chosen route opened out into a large room. There was a faint greenish glow from the fungus clinging to the walls and a few larger mossy boulders lay embedded into the ground. Another hall continued out at the opposite end of the room.

Kamila wrinkled her nose. “What’s that awful smell?”

A cloying rotting smell that somehow seemed both sickeningly sweet and sour filled the air. Cabanela swallowed. Just the thought of opening his mouth to answer and risk taking in more of that smell was enough to turn his stomach.

“Let’s go quick,” Memry said from behind her hand.

They made it part way across the room when Cabanela stopped. “Wait,” he barked. Something moved and rippled around one of the boulders. Then the creature launched itself, landing in front of the party.

It was mass of thorny tentacles with more thick tentacle-like stalks surrounding a gaping mouth filled with large teeth. A string of some kind of sap leaked from its mouth.

Jowd ducked as it lashed out with several tentacles. Kamila shot a flurry of crossbow bolts. Memry fired off her pistol. It shrieked as Cabanela launched a fireball at it but continued its attack. It lashed, hissing again as Cidgeon blasted it with an aqua rake. Jowd rolled in front blocking one of the tentacles from swiping at Cabanela and landed a hard kick to its teeth before flipping back.

The creature wavered then its mouth opened into a gaping maw and expelled a cloud of green tinged gas. The smell had been bad before; it was exponentially worse now. Cabanela choked and coughed, his spell fizzling out and eyes streaming. His throat burned and the room suddenly grew darker. He blinked away the tears, wondering if his vision had been affected, but no. His fireball was gone and the room was only lit by the fungus.

He tried to summon forth more magic. It was there, he knew it was there but it was as if it had been smothered somehow and he couldn’t quite reach. He tried to speak any of his spells’ words and nothing came. Voiceless, magicless, fine he still had his sword.

Then the blows came. The first sent him reeling. The second floored him. He lay flat out on his back, and that too hadn’t appreciated the impact, wheezing, ribs screaming as he struggled to catch his breath. Jowd bore down on him and for a dazed second he expected a hand up. Unnecessary but appreciated, just give him a minute to remind his body who was in command here. Instead Jowd straddled him and Cabanela gave a mute cry as the sudden weight sent another wave of pain through him. The room was far dimmer but this close it was still easy to see the anger twisting Jowd’s features. How many times had he wanted to lose himself in those blue eyes? Now they only held a cold hatred.

“Jowd!” He mouthed. “It’s me!” No sound from him and no sign of acknowledgement or understanding from Jowd. He struggled to wriggle out from under him but Jowd had always been bigger, heavier, far stronger. He was pinned. Helpless.

Then Jowd’s hands came around his throat. For a moment their eyes locked and there was only a furious intensity in Jowd’s eyes. His hands squeezed. Cabanela choked. He scrabbled in vain through the growing pain and panic at those solid unmoving fingers. Spots burst in front of his eyes. The room grew darker.

_Not like this…_


	7. Chapter 7

Cidgeon coughed once and shook his head as the gas washed over them. Disgusting and he knew with sudden certainty, not only dangerous for its effects but for the chaos they might cause. The results of it were quickly becoming clear as the rest of the party reeled and choked.

Kamila’s crossbow fell with a clatter. She wobbled and slumped, crumpling into a heap next to it. Asleep, Cidgeon knew and was grateful it wasn’t worse. Memry bent over double. When he blinked she was gone and a green impish creature stood in her place staring open mouthed at webbed hands. Cidgeon grimaced. At least Jowd and Cabanela were still upright, though for how long remained to be seen.

The room suddenly darkened. Cabanela’s fire had gone out, leaving the fungus to cast a sickly pale glow over the place. They needed to end this quickly. Cidgeon cast another aqua rake followed by a stone. The creature seemed to start wavering, riddled with bolts and scorched, with several teeth broken where Jowd had kicked it.

Lovey-Dove launched herself off Cidgeon with an unusually fierce call, and swooped over the creature, magitek infused talons ripping into its stalks.

“Jowd, now—!,” Cidgeon stopped and horror dawned as he took in this new sight separate from the current fight.

Jowd had Cabanela pinned to floor, his hands wrapped around his throat. Cabanela’s heels dug into the ground as he struggled and even as Cidgeon took in the sight they slowed, growing weaker.

“Jowd stop!” Cidgeon darted toward them. He couldn’t fix this. He wasn’t anywhere near strong enough to pull him away. A different spell then. “Sleep!”

Jowd slumped over. Cidgeon prayed he hadn’t just made things worse for Cabanela under Jowd’s crushing weight. He slammed his shoulder into Jowd’s bulk as hard as he could. It was enough to get him to slip and roll part way off. Cidgeon dropped to his knees next to Cabanela who lay still.

“Come on, boy,” Cidgeon muttered.

Cabanela’s eyes flared open as he took a sudden shuddering gasp that devolved into pained coughs. He made a brief struggle against Jowd still half-pinning him to the floor before falling back with a strained gasp. A shaking hand clutched at his ribs. Cidgeon clenched his teeth. Jowd’s hands left their mark on Cabanela’s neck and clearly not the only place. He cast a white wind. Cabanela’s breaths came easier if still in great bursts, though he remained prone and trembled.

Cidgeon rested a steadying hand on Cabanela’s shoulder and looked back to check on the others. The monster had collapsed into a mass of tangled tentacles. The sticky sap-like substance still leaked from its mouth but it was otherwise unmoving. Lovey-Dove stood nearby pecking at her talons and shaking out her wings. Memry had sunk to the ground, head in her hands. They’d sort her out soon, but Cabanela needed his attention now.

With a deeper slower breath as he seemed to gather himself, Cabanela shifted under Cidgeon’s hand and with some effort pulled his legs out from under Jowd. He sat up. His mouth moved soundlessly. He pointed at his throat with a scowl and shook his head.

“Silenced,” Cidgeon said.

He nodded.

Cidgeon went into his pouches. He kept his own supply of medicines and remedies on hand. Magic was all well and good until the caster was incapacitated. “Here,” he said passing Cabanela a small vial of potion brewed from the ground up leaves of echo herbs.

Cabanela downed the vial’s contents with a small shudder before passing it back. With another deep breath he looked away from Jowd and at the rest of the scene.

“Kamila, is she?” he asked.

“Asleep,” Cidgeon said.

He stared, brows knitting in confusion at the imp. “Memry?”

“She’ll be fine.”

Cabanela turned his head back to stare at Jowd. While Cidgeon knew he’d healed him so it couldn’t be his throat his voice still took on a choked quality. “Jowd, he…”

“That gas had hallucinogenic properties. He wouldn’t have known what he was doing.” And yet out of all the targets he’d gone straight for Cabanela. Coincidence? Cidgeon doubted it. “I put him to sleep.”

Cabanela’s hand brushed over his throat while his gaze remain fixed on Jowd. Then he suddenly hopped to his feet. Cidgeon rose to join him as Cabanela breathed out an Esuna.

Jowd stirred with a low groan. There was a pause then he suddenly rolled over and flipped to his feet, fists at the ready. He looked wildly around before frowning.

“The Jester,” he growled. “Where did he go?”

“He was never here,” Cidgeon said flatly.

“He was right there!”

“That breath threw us aaall for a loop,” Cabanela said with a cheer that sounded off to Cidgeon’s ears.

Jowd stared at his hands. “If he wasn’t here, then what did I?”

“Nothin’ baby,” Cabanela said more soothingly than Cidgeon found he was in any mood to hear. “Just a figment of your imagination.” He twirled on his heel and sauntered over to Kamila and Memry, waving a hand with another Esuna at Memry and a “Riiise and shine, princess!”

Jowd stared after him. His fists clenched. “He’s lying, I know him. He—.” He stopped dead.

Cidgeon eyed him. “Yeah? I’d give that some thought if I were you, boy.” And suddenly he found there was no more he wanted to say to him.

He left Jowd standing frozen. There was someone else in more need of his attention now. Lovey-Dove cooed at him as he knelt down holding out his hands to her. “Are you all right, Lovey?”

She waddled into his hands with a reassuring coo. She seemed no worse for wear but he quietly cast another white wind just in case and made a plan to check over her legs later. As he stood back up she fluttered up to take her place back in his hair.

“What did that thing do to us?” Memry came up beside him and stared in disgust at the creature.

“Its gas causes a myriad of effects,” Cidgeon replied. And with it had come the sudden knowledge of how to replicate it. He couldn’t imagine ever putting that particular spell to use.

“It was weird,” Memry said, shaking out her hands. “And I felt sick. Or maybe that was just the stink. Or being changed into that thing. Trying to use a pistol with webbed fingers? Not easy.”

“Poison,” Cidgeon grunted. He also knew enough now to know they got off relatively lucky. If they’d all been put to sleep or poisoned… If the ribbon hadn’t turned out to have protective qualities after all. If more of them had succumbed to the hallucinations…

“Uncle?”

“Eh?”

There was an unusual note of concern in Memry’s voice. “Are you okay? You seem grumpy…ier. Did it get you too?”

“No, I’m fine.” _He_ was, but this had come so close to disaster and they’d almost lost him, _again._

“If you say so,” Memry said, her tone implying otherwise.

Cidgeon ignored it and now a new distraction came in the form of Cabanela who’d made his way to the room’s exit and stood with one hand on his hip and the other out in a gesture toward the hall.

“Weeell? We’ve still got ourselves an airship to find, baby!”

Memry clapped her hands together. “Damn right we do! Some gross pile of tentacles isn’t about to stop us now.”

She hurried off to join Cabanela. Cidgeon, joined by Kamila trailed after until Kamila stopped and looked back.

“Papa?”

Jowd still stood unmoving where Cidgeon had left him.

“Papa, what’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m right behind you.”

Once more they trod down lengthy halls. Cabanela sent another ball of flame up to hover over them. As Cidgeon watched the flickering shadows he wondered how long these halls would go this time. Were they even going the right way or had that all been a waste?

Memry and Cabanela had taken the lead this time and while they kept their voices low out of caution there was a cheery note in their chatter Cidgeon wished he could entirely believe. Memry sure. It seemed that girl could bounce back from anything, and he’d once thought the same of Cabanela. Cabanela seemed hell-bent on proving that to still be the case, but what did the boy expect him to think after all that? What did he expect after seeing him lying shaking on the ground struggling to breathe, nearly killed by the one he’d spent so much of himself trying to save? After a coma? After his capture, after his efforts in Vector… Cidgeon could practically feel the grey hairs sprouting in. But he ‘was okay, because he was always okay’. Bah. 

Jowd was no better in his own ways. Fools the both of them. If this kept up this journey was only going to grow more difficult and there was no knowing what either of them might do. They needed to sort themselves out the sooner the better.

What would Alma think of this lot? He wouldn’t have minded getting to know the desert queen better. Maybe she would be able to knock some sense into them. She had a good head on her shoulders. Then again she’d chosen this absurd pair.

Then again. So had he.

Bah.

There was little to be done about this current set of worries. However, his worries for the tunnels proved unnecessary as the tunnel opened out into another much larger space that faded into darkness outside the range of Cabanela’s flame.

Cabanela sent the flame further ahead and let it grow larger spreading more light and revealing the massive shape in the centre. Light shone off polished wood and gleaming steel. Silver casing rode high above the ship attaching in ways that almost seemed to cradle it. Even with Cabanela’s light the propellers and fins faded into the shadows for how large she was. The Ladybird had been an impressive feat of engineering. This was similar in some ways, but was sleeker in Cidgeon’s eyes. Naturally appearances had little to do with how it would function and that would be their next step.

Not that such a thought seemed to worry Memry. The plank was down. Memry dashed up it and spun around at the top. She stared down at the group, arms spread wide.

“We’ve done it! Let me introduce you to The Vanguard.”


	8. Chapter 8

Jowd followed Kamila up the plank. Her head swivelled as she seemed determined to see as much as she possibly could. It was good to see that she’d maintained her enthusiasm for all things mechanical. There was an unchanging constant. Memry was excited. Kamila was excited. Cidgeon was quiet. Cabanela was… here. As for himself, well they’d either find the ship or they wouldn’t. It turned out they had, so it was onto whatever was next and there his thoughts faltered.

It had been simpler before. One day was much like any other until he was pressed against the wall of a house and that was simple too. He survived the destruction of their world only to get crushed by a house haha.

Then those two came and the world grew more complicated. Then they found Kamila and his walls cracked to let in those first tinges of unfamiliar joy and hope. Now they’d found this ship after all and suddenly possibility loomed large and terrifying.

Their voices washed around him as he stood by the rail apart from the sudden flurry of activity, his presence unnecessary for these particular proceedings. Memry called out orders, she and Kamila soon disappeared below deck only to come back up shortly and they went down again this time with Cidgeon. Soon after that Cabanela also disappeared below and Jowd was left alone on the deck. He didn’t know what they were up to but it seemed to involve a lot of back and forth and Memry kept going to the helm. There was talk of cables and switches and such things that Jowd let fade to a background buzz.

It might have been better if he had been able to focus on their work. Better that than the image of that room replaying itself over and over no matter how he tried to avoid it. The memory had a hazy dreamlike quality to it, but even in his dreams he’d never been allowed to get so close. That should have been his first clue, he supposed, that he had Cabanela under his hands. The wooden rail was smooth under his hand as he gripped it harder. He nearly succeeded where he’d failed so many times before and it was the wrong target. Laughter threatened to bubble up at the sheer absurd futility of it all and maybe it would have if the memory of those shock and pain-filled eyes didn’t overtake it. And Cabanela had simply waved it off with a smile. Or maybe that was right. After all why should one such as he be affected by the likes of him? He never had been before, no the Jester hadn’t been, but they shared their roots, didn’t they? Yet, that look…

“Brace yourself, baby.”

Jowd startled. And there was the man himself leaning nearby, though just out of reach he couldn’t help but notice.

“It’s time to flyyy.”

“Kamila!” Memry called from her position at helm. “Uncle! Set us free!”

Jowd felt a faint vibration through the deck. The engines whirred to life. There was a great deal of clattering and clanking from the rear of the ship where Kamila and Cidgeon were, followed by a series of clicks. A rumbling and grinding filled the room and above the ceiling parted sliding to the side revealing a vast tunnel sloping upward. Memry was silent, her concentration wholly on the helm. Kamila went to join her. The airship rose.

Stone flew by. A faint light grew in the distance and before they knew it they shot into the darkened skies above. They were out. They’d made it.

“Yes!” Memry cried out. “Ha! Oh, you are a beauty!”

Kamila scurried across the deck and flung herself at Jowd. “Look, papa! We did it!” She gazed up at him, eyes shining in the dim light. “Now, we can find mama!”

If she could be found. If. He’d once let it fall to impossibility—better not to have hope that would only be shattered time after time. Now it was an ‘if’ and those ‘ifs’ plagued him. He wasn’t sure he dared to hope, but he nodded for Kamila’s sake. And maybe… maybe hope couldn’t be entirely escaped anyway.

Jowd wandered below deck, theoretically exploring the narrow halls and rooms though his mind frequently wandered elsewhere. They’d made a brief stop to pick up the chocobos followed by another short stop after a quick flight to Figaro Castle to drop the birds off. Now they cruised. Kamila had finally succumbed to sleep, worn out by her excitement. Memry remained at the helm last he knew. Cabanela and Cidgeon had disappeared somewhere below deck as well.

There was more to the ship than he expected. There was the engine room he only peered briefly into, the machinery whirring away and meaning little to him. Of course there was the hold now smelling faintly of chocobo. Those were only to be expected as was the main lobby area, similar to the Ladybird in some respects, comfortable enough with a sofa and a large table, and spacious—no doubt a place they’d spend much time in. What was less expected was the small bar room and there was no doubt that that was what it was. The bar itself was of dark polished wood accompanied by stools upholstered in red velvet. Shelves lined the wall behind and to his surprise some bottles remained. That was one way to age wine he supposed. None of it particularly seemed Rindge’s style and he wondered if Memry had an influence here.

He moved on from it down a narrow hall at the end of which was the ship’s sole bedroom. A few other small rooms he could only guess were for storage also lined the hall. Voices sounded from one and he froze against the wall at the entrance’s side.

“…blame him. How can I?” Jowd swallowed. That was Cabanela’s voice and then Cidgeon’s voice reached him in reply.

“That’s not the point.”

“It happened. It’s over and done with. It wasn’t really meee, was it?”

Jowd had heard several things from Cidgeon during the times they traveled together, but this tight barely restrained anger in his voice was new. “It was nearly you he killed regardless of intent.”

Cabanela sounded strangely brittle despite his cheer. “And he didn’t! Aaall’s well that ends weeell, I say.”

“That’s it, is it? Just like that everything is fine and dandy eh?”

“And why nooot? We found him. We found Kamila and Memry. We’ll see if our furry feline can refuuuse this offer. We’ve got ourselves an airship baby! Things are lookin’ up.”

The anger wasn’t there this time though the gruffness remained. Did he imagine the odd softness in Cidgeon’s voice when he spoke? “Three kinds of fool.”

There was a long pause. Then Jowd would almost wonder if there was someone else in the room if he didn’t know any better. That flatness wasn’t Cabanela at all.

“I’m tired.”

Those words weren’t his either. It was enough to drive Jowd to look into the room to confirm what he already knew if not believed. Cabanela sat on a bench built into the wall. Cidgeon stood in front of him, his back to the doorway. Jowd looked in just in time to see Cabanela suddenly slump forward as if strings had been cut. He leaned into Cidgeon, his head bowed into his shoulder. Cidgeon brought a hand up to rest on Cabanela’s back. Jowd expected Cabanela to return the hug; his hands remained limp in his lap. Shaky breaths told Jowd the rest of the story.

Jowd stood frozen feeling an intruder to this uncharacteristic display. An eternity passed as Jowd tried to convince himself to leave. He had no right to witness this, but he was rooted to the floor until Cabanela finally drew back from Cidgeon. A stray tear lingered on Cabanela’s cheek. How had things come to this? What did he miss? Jowd’s feet took over where his thoughts failed and propelled him into the room; Cabanela wasn’t meant to look so haggard. Those shoulders weren’t meant to slump so.

Taking a seat beside him, he wrapped an arm around those narrow shoulders. Cabanela stiffened.

“Jowd.”

There was no room for doubt. All hesitation and thought died at the ache in Cabanela’s voice. Jowd drew him into his lap letting those long legs drape over the bench. There thought returned as he took in the feel of him. Had he always been so light? Had he always felt like he could snap him without meaning to?

The Jester had thrown himself into Jowd’s lap plenty of times as playful and teasing as ever until poison laced his words. Early on Jowd had wondered at the weight of him that seemed heavier than what he had known. Then he wondered if he merely remembered wrong. And then he thought in a flight of fancy it was the weight of betrayal. And then, and then, and then it didn’t matter.

Cabanela could almost be one of his paintings—an ephemeral thing soon to fade leaving nothing but a memory, painful and beautiful. No, there was too much tension here, tension and life. Cabanela’s fingers curled around Jowd’s clothing, gripping tightly. He buried his face in Jowd’s shoulder and breathed deep. Jowd pressed him closer. He was very much alive, but his was a fire he had nearly snuffed out.

Jowd caught Cidgeon’s eye over Cabanela’s clinging form. Cidgeon’s frown was no less deep, but he gave Jowd a curt nod that felt something like approval before he left the room.

Running his fingers over Cabanela’s back, Jowd’s fingers found knots of tired muscle that had no place on the carefree dancer he knew. The last time he’d been in anything like this position he told him they’d talk in the morning. They hadn’t then nor had they next or the next until the mornings of silence piled up like the words in his throat, jumbled and lost, growing in number and stoppered up by this latest incident.

Instead his fingers did the work, working slowly up that back, cautious for any signs to stop. He worked his way up to his shoulders, hesitation growing—hands around that neck—but Cabanela showed no sign of protest. There was plenty there to keep his hands busy and every tired no doubt aching spot he rubbed felt like another mistake born between them.

Cabanela grew still and quiet to the point Jowd thought he might have fallen asleep until he abruptly jerked and clung even harder to his shirt. He let it pass without comment until it happened a second time. Like a stubborn puppy, he thought, and that thought was so old and so out of place in these dark days he couldn’t help but laugh.

Cabanela’s voice was muffled. “What?”

“You’re ridiculous.” And maybe more but more was too much and that was all he could muster.

A long pause led Jowd to wonder if Cabanela had fallen asleep after all or if his comment had been a mistake—unsurprising—until he finally spoke without moving, still buried in Jowd’s shoulder.

“I knooow.”

“What were you going to say?” Jowd asked running now on instincts he thought long rusted away, worn down by the Jester.

“Nothin’ that matters.”

“I don’t mind trivialities.”

Another pause then Cabanela spoke so quietly Jowd knew he would have missed it if he wasn’t already listening closely. “I miss home.”

Jowd’s fingers stilled. Trivialities yes. That was far from trivial. What _was_ home anymore? The castle had emerged but Alma was still missing, possibly forever. There was no home without her. What was there with Cabanela? What was there without him? He allowed the Jester to twist his views of Cabanela to something beyond recognition while his old views no longer matched either. What was left?

Cabanela pulled back. Fingers briefly brushed over Jowd’s beard in the lightest of touches. In the old days they would have lingered and entwined, toying with it with a grin, but those days were long lost. Cabanela tried to meet his gaze. Jowd stared at the wall.

“You’ll get there,” Cabanela said.

Jowd’s grip tightened on his shoulders. _He_ would? What did that even matter without Alma? Without...? “You can’t know that.”

“I don’t need to. I won’t let anything else happen.”

Cabanela wasn’t the Jester, yet in some ways they really weren’t so different. “And your word is law.”

Cabanela shrugged away Jowd’s hands and slid off to stand over him. Jowd looked up at him unable to meet his gaze, but Cabanela stood tall and proud, steel in his posture.

“It’s called not givin’ up.” He spun on his heel and stopped at the door. “I’ve got promises to keep and I mean to see them filled. You got my word on that, baby.”

Cabanela was gone again, out of sight and out of reach. Jowd slumped, staring at the floor. Promises to keep and where did that leave them?

The next morning they flew, their course set for Mobliz. Jowd found himself drifting out to the deck after a restless night. He stood by the rail watching the clouds pass and he wasn’t the only one. Some distance away near the prow Cabanela also leaned against that same rail. Jowd tried not to stare. Cabanela’s hair and coat fluttered in the wind of their passing. Despite everything and despite the urge to deny the thought he was still beautiful. That he could still think so seemed laughable yet there it was. He sighed.

“What’s wrong papa?” Kamila had come up from behind.

“It’s nothing. I thought you’d be in the engine room.”

“I was!” Kamila said brightly before shuffling her feet sheepishly. “Gramps said I should get some air.”

Jowd felt a twinge. He was here, yet it was Cidgeon who still looked out for her more than he had been. He needed to do better there too.

“It’s going to be okay,” Kamila said seriously and slipped her hands into his. “You’ll see.”

He looked down at her. She stared at the sky eyes gleaming with determination. They’d kept her from some of the worst horrors and still she’d seen too many. She saw their world end and she still believed. She still held hope.

“We’ll see,” was all Jowd could manage. One way or another that would hold true. What they would really see couldn’t be guessed at yet.

They flew on and just maybe they flew toward hope.


End file.
